Transcript What is Arts - Incredible Sculptures

What is Arts
"Art cannot be taught, it comes from thinking. But it
can be improved by practice."
A beautiful work of Art has the power to hold
attention of its viewers. Art is medium of
communication between the artist and the onlooker.
The conversation created by the artist, makes his art
meaningful for the humans. But, of all the artistry in
the world, the most beauteous are those which have
been created by the Mighty God and it is with His
approval that the human race can create a
remarkable piece of art.
According to a famous Art Historian,
'Art, for human is the occasion for expression,
talking, verbalization and speech, and for the
representation of beauty, truth and perfection.
However, the real height of beauty truth and
perfection is God and all His creation."
Art can either be seen as a collection of its admirers
or as a piece of work which can serve the needs of
others. Also, Art has an aesthetic value. It has been
rightly said that, “Art is a craft, but not just any sort
of craft. It is a craft of expression - of someone's
feelings or thoughts, and it can take many forms
depending on a chosen medium."
How is Art different from Craft?
Art and Craft are often seen as synonymous to each other as
both are a form of creative expression. But these are
essentially not the same. Let us consider the difference
between the two.
•While Art is way of expressing emotions, Craft is a form of
work that results in tangible output. For instance, carving
and other replicable forms. The first conceived image of
Ganesha, was a work of Art and not Craft.
•Art is often described as unstructured and open ended. It
has no boundaries of expression, such as in painting. On the
other hand, Craft is generally structured, which means that
it has a certain visible form.
•While Craft can be quantified, it is really difficult to
quantify Art.
•It is easy to replicate Craft, while Art cannot be replicated.
Whereas Craft attracts the viewers, Art move them
emotionally. For instance, a beautiful painting can arouse
emotions in the on-lookers while a stunning piece of
jewellery can a great attraction.
•Art is a result of an individual’s innate talents whereas Craft
skills can be acquired with experience. Among the two, Art is
closer to aesthetics.
•Usually a craftsperson has an idea about what he/she
actually wants to create, while Art is an out flow of
emotions.
•Painting, architecture and sculpture are examples of art
forms. While, Pottery, metal works, glass works and
jewellery are some works of craft.
Role of Art
Back in the ancient age, Art was more in
practice than it is today. It was a prominent
part of human activity and documentation.
The aim was to pass the information about
their everyday activities and experiences to
the coming generations. It has rightly been
said by Leo Tolstoy, “Art is a human activity,
consisting in this, that one man consciously,
by means of certain external signs, hands on
the other feelings he has lived through, and
that other people are infected by these
feelings and also experience them." Art also
played a vital role in religious activities and
as an icon of community’s beliefs. Over the
span of time, Art has evolved from a
necessity to a luxury which only the elite can
afford.
Role of an Artist
The role of an Artist in the ancient age was to
document the world they lived in, in a work
of Art. We can see this in the cave painting at
the BIMBEKA IN MP (Paleolithic Age). In the
Age of Animism the artist was a presenter of
artistic work. His job was to create the object
based on the community’s beliefs. In the era
of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, came the
artist who created the work of Art as per the
religious ideology. A famous Art Historian
once stated, “Ancient art was the tyrant of
Egypt, the mistress of Greece and the servant
of Rome". According to him, during the
primal age, the role of an artist was to create
Art as per the needs and beliefs of his
master. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that an
Artist’s role in those days was not to create
Art just for the sake of it, but it involved the
whole idea of a community’s beliefs.
Originality, Tradition and Beauty
of Art
Art isn’t meant for any particular person,
rather it is for all. An Art which generates from
tradition is the one which has been passed on
from the past generations to the present
ones. For instance, the art of wood carving,
weaving and so on. One of the reasons that
led this movement was the religious needs.
For instance, in Islam the work of calligraphy
and the architectural designs of the mosque is
the art form that has been passed from the
ancestors to the coming generations.
Aristotle(384 BC – 322BC) once said, “Beauty
is a gift of God” and was absolutely right in
saying so. Allah has created this beautiful
world for us and the creative ability he has
given us is a blessing. A work of Art and
beauty cannot be separated. “Beauty is
everywhere, in the arrangement of your pots
and pans, on the white wall of your kitchen,
perhaps more than in your eighteenthcentury salon or in the official museum."
Nature of Art
Art is an opportunity for the
artist to narrate the story of
the time gone by. Through this
we get the knowledge about
our ancestors and their culture
and religion. Art is for
everyone and all can benefit
from it in one way or the
other.
What makes a “Good Art?”
It has been rightly stated that “Good art can work on many levels and is
capable of many interpretations."
But what constitutes a “good art?” Is it the art which is conceptually unique
and well-executed? Is it that which is popular, widely consumed,
unanimously loved? Is it that which awakens our consciousness, helps us
make sense of our experiences, changes our perspective, documents a
reality, contemplates history? Is it simply the result of someone working
hard and expressing something they’re passionate about? Is it that which is
so complicated that its execution is reserved for a distinct, talented few? Is
it that which is incomprehensible to the lay person but understood to
someone deeply educated? Or is it that which displays an expression that is
declared great by some upstanding figure in society leading others to
follow suit in their beliefs, as so often happens?
How, in any way, can these things not be subjective to some degree?
By definition, and my personal belief, art is just an expression of human
creativity, or the application of it, in a way that externalizes and
physicalizes that which is inherently internal and embodied. Often it
warrants a greatness and appreciation for the beauty and emotional power
it holds, either for the artist or the subsequent observer. But the definition
itself even renders it a subjective, individual experience.
Maybe the reason we turn personal value scales into universal ones sheds
light on a deeper human truth. Maybe we aggrandize our experiences to fill
a void of unworthiness. Maybe we need to define people as the “other,”
the lesser, the unworthy because we believe that there is a definitive right
and wrong, good and bad, and we fall on the latter side of both those
dichotomies.
If art is expressive, if it is meant to deepen our awareness through that expression, to help
actualize the artist and change the viewer, how can we say which one thing is better than
another? With the infinite diversity of people we encounter even just on a daily basis, how can
we ever believe that just one thing is best at affecting them all equally, therefore rendering that
art great?
The point is: without realizing it, we determine what’s right and wrong from a creative standpoint
through the experiences of other people. There is no art that is greater or lesser than another.
There can be art that affects us personally to greater or lesser degrees, but that’s all.
What the delineation of “good vs. bad” does for the world of art and expression is that it limits a
large majority of people from ever enjoying and experiencing things fully. From how simply we
scoff at those whose music interests are different than ours to how complexly we find ourselves
compelled to follow the beaten path because individuality is something that is feared and
avoided as it may not result in that pre-determined arena of what’s “good” or “best.”
Whether we mean to or not, we stunt people from experiencing and creating art that moves
them. We deprive them of the opportunity to do that which art intends: to learn, grow, change,
expand, express. To be touched, to seek beauty, to find themselves as uniquely in the crevices of
their abstract art as they can in the pages of a piece of popular fiction. This is how we create
people who are distinct, amply aware of their own paths, and not fearful of exploring them
deeper. Not being afraid of one’s own expression is the only way to the acceptance of oneself.
And it is this self-acceptance that is missing from those who feel the need to tell people that their
form of human expression, beauty, enjoyment, movement, experience, is somehow less than
theirs.
Artist’s Statement
Modernization has made the humans forget the true
language of their inner being as well as of the Art. Art is
not titillation, not information, not reduction. Art must,
somehow or other, have the mysterious power of
transcending history, and horizontal time, that alone
allows us see things acutely. An artist must take into
consideration all forms of creativity: whether of the Art,
sciences and even faith and beliefs. Art is something that
should come naturally. Kinetic sculpture can be exciting,
but the Neolithic methods are closer to our bone. All
lasting art is contemplative and does not pander to our
vulgar curiosity.
In this excitable age, serenity is of the greatest value. The
old Indian carvings created a mood of serenity. It is these
that make us really breathless. Think of the dancing
Shiva! This is true poetry. So art better not be fugitive.
Good art is not descriptive, rather a carrier of culturally
distilled emotions. With the development of the
machines and machine-like minds, the human race has
been moved away from the ancient civilizations. This has
led to the dehumanization if the Art itself. We have too
regulated and narrow minded. This is a disaster for the
humanity.
The Art of Irrelevance
Have a life that moves on smoothly is a
boon. Some squander it while other
treasure it. It is a blessing in disguise
for those who can differentiate
between relevant and irrelevant
happenings. They have tuned their
consciousness to good thoughts and
banished the bad ones that have
bombarded us from every nook and
corner. It is upto us, what thoughts we
want to throw and what we want to
keep. There might be a chance that we
overload our minds with irrelevant
thoughts, which can lead to data
crash! The pursuit of happiness
depends on our ability to control our
thoughts and this is truly the ultimate
challenge. The art of irrelevance is the
skill that helps us to de-clutter our
minds and take small steps towards
the freedom of expression. It is good
to throw or banish all that is irrelevant
and keep our soul healthy and
peaceful.
Evolution of Art
There may be varied reasons for
creating and enjoying art. Art plays the
role of extending and expanding a
shared visual language. Whenever an
artist introduces a new visual idea, it is
often seen as shocking and even
incomprehensible. But as time goes by,
the most effective ideas among these
are accepted by the society. There is
nothing harder than trying to grasp
what was shocking or illuminating
about certain images, or ways of
making images, once the shock is
gone, and we have all absorbed this bit
of visual data into our own
vocabularies. An artist shows the
society, new ways of perceiving
familiar things and how, with the help
of visual shorthand, new situations
and events can be interpreted. The
creation of this visual language is
either the outcome of the side effects
of some purposes or of the artist’s
intention.
What are some of the purposes that Art
fulfils?
One of the oldest purposes of Art was to act as a vehicle
of religion. From the prehistoric cave paintings of
Bimbinka in Bhopal, to the Ajanta Ellora, art has served
this purpose. Since ages, the religious institutions were
the primary patrons of artists. Even today, in the
traditional societies, the primary purpose of Art is
religious or ceremonial.
Art also serves as a propaganda or social commentary in a
number of cases. Propaganda images are attempts to
persuade us toward particular viewpoints or actions
promoted by public or private institutions such as political
parties, lobbyists, governments, or religious groups. We
can either approve or disapprove a propaganda. For
instance, World War II efforts to get women behind the
war effort, as epitomized in Norman Rockwell's Rosie the
Riveter was a propaganda that the public approved of. In
either case, the power of visual images has frequently
been used to persuade masses of people to accept
beliefs, take action, or follow leaders. The role of an artist
as social commentator can simply be to make us more
aware of the human condition as he/she perceives it,
without suggesting any particular action.
Art can also be a means of recording the visual data- the
truth about what we see. After the Renaissance, artists
became preoccupied with new ways of capturing reality
such as the use of linear perspective, and the realism
possible through the use of oil painting technique. Artists
like Ramkinkar Baiz, Somenath Hore and many other who
followed them began to challenge the basic idea of “what
it is for an image to be true and real?” in many ways.
Art can be seen as eye pleasing beauty. Just like the idea of truth, that of beauty is
has also been challenged in the modern era. At some point in time, an artist was
expected to portray perfection- the noble ideals of beauty. But as industrialization
took over, people began to question of what could and couldn’t be beautiful. For
instance, M.F. Hussain could celebrate the tactile quality of paint and color in his
picture, and Amrita Sher-gil could see beauty in the life of ordinary peasants.
“A picture is truly worth a thousand words”. Art is also seen as an all-powerful
medium of storytelling. In the middle ages, Art was a way of telling religious stories.
Such as, in the frescoes Merchants in Shekhwati Region, the sequences of panels
were used to tell stories from the Scriptures or lives of saints. Craftsmen who could
depict powerful and subtle stories about ordinary events and people, were believed
to be extremely gifted.
Intense emotions could also be conveyed through Art. The expressive power of art
can be seen in the ways of capturing of facial expression and body language. Certain
religious art, and the works of expressionists such as Tyeb Mahta are charged with
powerful emotions.
In any case, one of the primary functions of art is to interpret the subject matter at
hand, which doesn’t change much over time. Although new subject matters have
evolved, the human condition, nature, and events still continue to capture the
attention of artists. Through out the course of history as society has changed, so also
has the interpretation of specific subject matter.
WHY SHOULD ART BE STUDIED?
The best way to understand the concepts
of visual arts is by changing the context in
which art is seen, that is from general to
specific. Learning the ways of Art is
essential for every human being. Even
before someone learns to write, one
starts to draw. Even in the most scattered
form, these drawings become the basis
for writing. Art offers everyone with a
wide array of rigorous learning
opportunities.
It’s Not End, It is just a
Beginning……………